John Hay in The Spanish-American War

John Hay (1938-1905) was an American political figure who served as an assistant to President Abraham Lincoln, and later as Secretary of State under President William McKinley. After McKinley's assassination, Hay continued to serve as Secretary of State under Theodore Roosevelt.

In 1898, Secretary of State John Hay helped prepare the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Spanish-American War. In the following year he announced the Open Door policy, which demanded that European powers controlling portions of China grant equal access to the United States.